Simon Semenya says he has lived in Extension 20 for more than 10 years.
“Nothing has changed since they brought us here. We get promises year after year, but no delivery.”
The residents say they have made multiple reports to the municipality and their councillors over the years but nothing was done.
“How are we supposed to gain access to our houses with roads like these? When it rains, it is worse,” says one of the residents, Mnyamezile Mkahubu.
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According to residents, the rainwater pools on the roads and in people’s yards.
The stagnant water creates mud and deep trenches which are almost impossible to drive or walk through.
They claim that the conditions have made it hard for emergency service vehicles to gain access on many occasions.
“There are disabled kids who are my neighbours, and sometimes their transport can’t even reach the house. Are we supposed to carry these kids to the corner ourselves?” he added.
Semenya pointed out a portion of the road where a thick patch of grass is growing.
“This is in the middle of the road, imagine!”
Residents say they do not expect the roads to be tarred or paved soon; however, something could be done to make the gravel roads easier to use.
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Another resident, Gompieno Phake, says it feels like no one cares that they live in such conditions.
“I don’t understand why it does not bother the government to see people living like this,” he explained.
Dieketseng Nhlapo said she believes that overall, service delivery is poor.
“There is no clinic for us close by. And most people don’t even work. So they don’t have taxi fare to get to Dunnottar (clinic) or even Tsakane main.”
Semenya and Makhubu say residents are now considering ‘extreme’ measures to get answers from the municipality.
Ward councillor Pearl Suleman said she had no comment to make about the matter at the time.
The metro did not respond to queries sent by the African Reporter.
